When the calendar turns to the month of May, the NBA playoffs are usually in full swing. However, with the 2019-20 season on hold for over two months due to the coronavirus pandemic, there is no playoff basketball on the current radar.
Despite the league going on hiatus, the Golden State Warriors playoff hopes were already decided with 17 games remaining. With a league-worst 15-50 record, the Warriors became the first team in the association to be eliminated from playoff contention.
With playoff action on hold until further notice, Warriors Wire is digging deep into Golden State’s postseason history to find rewatchable matchups and standout performances.
Before there was Stephen Curry, “We Believe” or “Run TMC,” Eric “Sleepy” Floyd led the Golden State Warriors with a thrilling playoff moment.
May 10, 1987
After taking out the Utah Jazz in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs, the Warriors advanced to play the Los Angeles Lakers in round two.
With their star-studded lineup of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and Byron Scott, the Showtime Lakers blasted past the Warriors in the first three games of the series.
The Warriors were down 14 points heading into the final quarter of game four with Floyd recording a modest 22 points. Facing elimination, Floyd exploded for an eye-popping scoring performance.
The Georgetown product erupted in the fourth quarter to put Golden State on the comeback trail. Floyd shattered a pair of playoff records with 29 points in the fourth quarter and 39 points in the second half. The Warriors sealed their comeback with a 129-121 victory in Oakland to extend the series.
The 1987 All-Star guard racked up 51 points against the Lakers on 18-of-26 shooting from the field in 44 minutes. Floyd added 10 assists and three rebounds.
Scott, Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson combined for 71 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Golden State guard.
Along with Floyd, only Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry and Kevin Durant have scored 50 or more points in the playoffs donning a Golden State kit.
Watch highlights from Floyd’s career-night via YouTube:
The Warriors couldn’t translate Floyd’s magic in Los Angeles, dropping game five to the Lakers, 118-106. After eliminating Golden State, the Lakers swept the Seattle Supersonics in four games before advancing to the NBA Finals. The Lakers cruised past their rival Boston Celtics in six games to put an exclamation point on their run to a championship.
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